Automatic musical instrument.



J. J. WALKER.

AUTOMATIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 10, I911.

Patented Apr-.18, 1916.

Illlllfllll lllllllll i the edges of the tune sheets,

JAMES J N WALKER F LONDON, ENGLAN AUTOMATIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

Specification of Ilettersglatent.

Patented Apr. 18, 1916.

Application filed July 1 0, 1911. Serial ;No. 637,761.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES JOHN TA- ma, a subject of the King of theUnited Kin dom of Great Britain and Ireland, and re.- siding at 27Francis street, Tottenha n Qou-rt Road, London, England, have inventednew Improvements in or Relating to Automatic Musical Instruments, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to automatic musical instruments the playing ofwhich is ,controlled by a perforated tune sheet traveling over a trackerboard having ports operatively connected with the respectivenotesounding motors, and it has for its object to provide improved meansby which the said tune sheet can be automatically maintained in, orreturned to, its proper position for insuring register between itsrespective rows of note slots or perforations and the respective trackerboard ports.

Hitherto the automatic control of the tune sheet in respect of itstransverse or lateral adjustment on the tracker board has been effectedthrough ports controlled by :(a) or perforations near those edges, whicharrangements have been found unreliable because the normal register ofthe said edges or perforations with the respective so-called controlports is so readily disturbed by lateral expansion and contraction ofthe tune sheet due to climatic influence, and (b) perforations in thetune sheet adapted to cooperate with control ports arranged in the lineof the note-controlling ports of the tracker board and not to cotiperatewith the said notecontrolling ports, which arrangement involves aproportionate increase in the width of the tune sheet.

It is known that during the normal travel of a tune sheet, perforationsin such sheet of less than a given area relatively to the area of theordinary ports of a tracker board, can register with those ports with?out, in any way, affecting the playing of the music, the reason beingthat the perforations are not large enou h to allow air to passtherethrough in en cient volume to admit of the motors connected withthe said ports becoming operative or responsive.

The present invention avails itself of that property of irresponsivenessof the cooperation of undersized tune sheet erforations with theordinary tracker boar ports, and provides means whe y it ca be sewtageously utilized in connection with the automatic control of thetracking position of the tune sheet relatively to the tracker board, andwith that in view the said invention may be said to consist partly inthe use, in combination with tune sheet perforations which are too smallto render the usual tracker board ports responsive, of other ports whichthose perforations can render responsive.

It further consists in means whereby the said perforations, whilethemselves arranged in interrupted rows or lines, exercise anuninterrupted control over the relative positions of the tune sheet andtracker board.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanyingdrawings in which Figure 1 is a plan showing part of a tune sheet andtracker board, the former in correct tracking position relatively to thelatter, and Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the tune sheet in incorrectposition relatively to the tracker board.

According to the present invention the tracker board 1, besides beingprovided with the ordinary ports 2, a, b, c, and (Z is provided withports .3, 4, hereinafter referred to as register control ports, situatedat either the front or rear of the ports 2 or, as shown in the drawings,each register control port 3, 4, may be formed in two portions one atthe front and the other at the rear of the said ordinary ports. The twoportions of each register control port 3, 4 are alined with each otherin the direction of travel of the tune sheet 5, and both of the registercontrol ports 3 are pneumatically connected together and to a motorwhich, when actuated, serves, for example in well-known manner, to moveeither the tune sheet 5 rightward or the tracker board 1 leftward.Correspondingly, both of the register control ports 4 are pneumaticallyconnected together and to a motor which latter, when actuated, servesfor example, to move either the tune sheet 5 leftward or the trackerboard 1 rightward; or the said motors may effect the restoration of thetracking register between the tracker board 1 and the tune sheet 5, inany other convenient manner, for example, in the manner set forth in thespecification of my former Letters Patent No. 911,789 dated 9thFebruary, 1909. The last mentioned motors, for convenience, arehereinafter referred to as register restorin motors; they are notrepresented in the drawing because they constitute no part of thepresent invention, and they may be of any desired construction.

The ports 2 are those which control the operation of the note-soundingmotors, and the four ports a, b, 0, (Z, are those which control devicesbrought into operation by perforations situated preferably near therespectively opposite ends of the tune sheet, for example, devices foreffecting the stoppage of the music roll without rewinding; (6) thestoppage of the music roll after rewinding; (0) the stoppage of themusic roll and rewinding, and (d) the restarting of the music roll afterrewinding.

The register control ports 3, 4 are situated in alinement with the portsa, b, or 0, d, not because the perforations 6, 7 which are adapted tocooperate with such register control ports 3, 4, would have any effectupon the ports 2 did they travel over them, but for the reason that theports 2 being those which control the note-sounding motors, wouldnecessitate the presence of note perforations at parts of the tune sheetwhere they would conflict with the register control perforations 6, 7.Hence it is that the register control ports 3, 4 are situated adjacentto ports a, b, or 0, cl, which necessitates the presence of perforationsonly near the respectively opposite ends of the tune sheet 5, at whichparts the presence of the register control perforations 6, 7 isobviously unnecessary.

8 are the ordinary tune sheet note perforations Which, when regitseringwith the ports 2, cause the actuation of the respective note-soundingmotors, and 9 are the partitions between adjacent ports 2, a, Z), 0, and(Z.

Each of the control perforations 6, 7 (these are hereinafter referred toas register control perforations) is of such small size thatindividually it will have no effect when it registers with any of thetracker board ports a, b, 0, cl, and for convenience these ports a, b,0, (Z and the ports 2 are hereinafter referred to as normal ports. Thesaid perforations are arranged in two parallel rows of series or groups,each series or group with the spaces between the perforations of suchgroup, extending over a linear distance approximately equal to theover-all length of the register control port 3 or 4, which latter, onthe other hand, are of such length as will enable a sufficiency of thesaid register control perforations of each individual group tosimultaneously register therewith. In the example represented eachseries or group consists of seven perforations each preferably about onemillimeter 1n diameter and about two millimeters from its neighbor. Withthe register control perforations 6, 7 of this size and thus spacedapart, it is impossible for any. two of them to simultaneously registerwith any of the normal ports a, b, 0, d, and consequently although theseperforations may pass over the said normal ports, the instrument, asabove described, will not be affected thereby. Moreover, as the distancebetween a normal port a, Z), c, or d, and the respective adjacentregister control port 3 or l is not less than the diameter of a registercontrol perforation, no one of these perforations can simultaneouslycooperate with a normal port and a register control port. The registercontrol perforations 6 or 7 of each series or group are howeversufficient in their collective area to efi'ect the operation of therespective register restoring motor when, by any lateral deviation ofthe tune sheet 5 from its normal course, they come into register withthe respective register control port 3 or 4 as represented for examplein Fig. 2, in which figure some of the register control perforations ofboth of the rows are shown in register with the respective registercontrol ports 4.

The different series or groups of each row of register controlperforations 6 or 7 are in staggered relationship to the differentseries or groups of the other row, and the space between any twosuccessive groups is approximately equal to the length of each of thegroups. By this arrangement the two rows of register controlperforations 6, 7 alternate in having their groups alongside of therespective register control ports 3, 4 and there will always be a fullcomplement of the said perforations either along side of, or in registerwith, the respective register control port or ports. By this alternationof the respective series of groups of register control perforations 6,7, a great advantage is obtained over existing arrangements inasmuch as,although the said perforations exercise a continuous control, the tunesheet 5 is not dangerously weakened as would be the case were theseregister control perforations arranged in one continuous or unbrokenline extending throughout the length of the tune sheet as has heretoforebeen proposed.

When the tune sheet 5 is traveling relatively to the tracker board 1, inthe correct position necessary for the note perforations to properlyregister with the respective normal ports 2, the register controlperforations 6 and 7 pass between the respective register control ports3, 4, without registering with either of them as represented in Fig. l,consequently the registerrestoring motors remain at rest. lVhen,however, the tune sheet is traveling out of correct position relativelyto the tracker board 1, say too much toward the right-hand side, and theregistration between the note perforations 8 and normal ports 2 isdisturbed or in-danger of'being disturbed,'the two rows of registercontrol perforations 6, 7 come into register with the respectiveregister control ports 4, as shown in connection with both sets ofperforations 6 and 7 in Fig. 2, and thereby effect the operation of thecorresponding register restoring motor which restores the normalrelationship between the tune sheet and tracker board. During the briefperiod that the register control perforations 6, 7 are traveling inregister with the register control ports 4 as just mentioned, they alsotravel in register with the normal ports 6, d respectively, but as notwo of them can simultaneously register with any one .of such normalports, and the area of each such perforation is, as aforesaid,insuflicient to have any effect on the motors connected with the saidnormal ports, those motors will re main at rest until the tune sheetperforations respectively appertaining to these ports a, b, a, (Z comeinto register with them.

I olaim:

1. A tracker board having twofunctionally different ports arranged intracking alinement with each other transversely of the tracker board, ofrelatively different dimensions in that direction and adapted tocooperate with a tune sheet having perforations which uncover both ofsaid transversely-alined portsand are of such dimensions measuredlongitudinally of the tracker board relatively to the dimensionsmeasured respectively in the same directions of the said ports thatthese perforations render only one of the said ports responsive.

2. A tracker board having register control ports arranged in trackingalinement transversely of the tracker board with certain ports belongingto the ordinary series of ports in said board and adapted to cooperatewith a tune sheet having control perforations which uncover both of saidtransversely-alined ports and are of such dimensions measuredlongitudinally and transversely of the tracker board relatively to thedimensions measured respectively in the same directions of the saidcertain ports that such perforations although uncovering both theregister control ports and the other ports will render only the saidregister control ports responsive.

3. A tracker board having register control ports arranged to the frontand rear of certain ports belonging to the ordinary series of ports insaid board and in tracking alinement therewith transversely of the saidboard and adapted to cooperate with a tune sheet having controlperforations which uncover both of said transversely-alined ports andare of such dimensions measured longitudinally and transversely of thetracker board relatively to the dimensions measured respectively in thesame directions of the said certain ports that such perforationsalthough uncovering both the register control ports and the other portswill render only the said register control ports responsive.

4. A tracker board having register control ports of greater length andlesser width than certain normal ports with which said register controlports are permanently alined transversely of the tracker board andadapted to cooperate with a tune sheet having control perforations whichuncover both of said transversely-alined ports and are of suchdimensions measured longitudinally and transversely of the tracker boardrelatively to the dimensions measured respectively in the samedirections of the said certain normal ports that such perforationsalthough uncovering both the register control ports and the other portswill render only the said register control ports responsive.

5. A tracker board formed with pairs of register control ports out ofline with the se ries of ordinary ports extending longitudinally of thesame tracker board and of greater length transversely and lesser widththan those ports and adapted to cooperate .with a tune sheet having aline of register control perforations of such a width that saidperforations can pass between members of such pairs of ports withoutoverlapping either, and uncover either of those members to render itresponsive and'also uncover the said ordinary ports without renderingthem responsive.

6. A tracker board provided with a series of ordinary ports extending ina row lengthwise of said board, said board being further provided withregistry control ports, said registry control ports being each formed intwo parts permanently in alinement transversely of the tracker boardwithand at the front and back respectively of one of said ordinaryports, said control ports extending transversely of said boardrelatively to said ordinary ports, the dimension of each of said controlports measured in the direction of the travel of the tune sheet beinggreater than the dimension of each of the ordinary ports measured in thesame direction.

7. In an automatic musical instrument, the combination with a trackerboard having functionally different ports arranged in alinement one withanother in the direction of travel of the tune sheet, of a tune sheethaving a succession of small perforations also alined in the directionof travel of the tune sheet, the ports being so proportioned relativelyto the perforations and to the distance between immediately followingperforations, that when the latter pass over the alined ports, one onlyof such ports will be operated.

8. 'In an automatic musical instrument, the combination with a trackerboard having register control ports arranged to the front and rear ofcertain ports belonging to the ordinary series of ports in the saidboard and in alinement therewith transversely of that board, of a tunesheet having a succession of small perforations alined in the directionof travel of the tune sheet, the ports being so proportioned relativelyto the perforations and to the distance between immediately followingperforations, that when the latter pass over the alined ports, only thecontrol ports will be operated.

9. In an automatic musical instrument, the combination with a trackerboard having register control ports of greater length and lesser Widththan certain normal ports with which said register control ports arealined in the direction of travel of the tune sheet, of a tune sheethaving a succession of small perforations also alined in the directionof travel of the tune sheet, the perforations being of such dimensionsmeasured trans versely to the direction of travel of the tune sheet, andthe distance between immediately following perforations being suchrelatively to the corresponding dimensions of the ports, that when theperforations pass over the alined ports, only the control ports will beoperated.

10. In an automatic musical instrument, the combination with a trackerboard formed with pairs of register control ports out of line, in thedirection transverse to that of the travel of the tune sheet, with theseries of ordinary ports extending longitudinally of the tracker board,and of greater length and lesser width than said ordinary ports, of atune sheet having a succession of small register control perforationsalined in the direction of travel of the tune sheet and of such Width,that said perforations can pass between members of such pairs of portswith- 4.

out overlapping either, and uncover either of those members to render itIQSPOIISlXG and also uncover the said ordinary ports without renderingthem responsive.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twowitnesses. JAMES JOHN WALKER. Witnesses:

HENRY HART, .R. F. WILLIAMS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner 0! Patents, Washington, D. C."

